Raiders DT Bilal Nichols From Training Camp
The 2023 NFL Training Camp for the Las Vegas Raiders is progressing, and today DT Bilal Nichols spoke, and we have his entire comments for you.
Transcript
00:00 (whooshing)
00:02 - [Interviewer] The coaches are screaming,
00:06 "Stay off the ground, stay off the ground."
00:07 Today it got pretty physical.
00:09 As a big guy, you gotta love that finally
00:11 you're able to connect with some of these smaller guys.
00:14 - Oh yeah, definitely.
00:15 We haven't had the pads on since the end of last season.
00:18 So to finally be able to put the pads back on,
00:20 it feel amazing.
00:21 They always say for the big guys,
00:23 this is when the real football starts.
00:24 So it felt amazing to just be back out there with the guys
00:27 and be back out there thumping again.
00:29 (mouse clicking)
00:31 - [Interviewer] How much does Max set the tone
00:33 for what you guys do up front?
00:35 So that he had another great day out there?
00:37 - That's every day with Max.
00:38 I mean, he that type of guy,
00:40 he inspire others with his work ethic.
00:44 And he gonna bring it every day.
00:46 And as a teammate, it forces you
00:48 to have the matches energy.
00:50 You know what I'm saying?
00:50 So he's just an all around unbelievable dude
00:54 and he inspire all his teammates
00:56 just to be better and better each day.
00:58 - [Interviewer] What was your plan for the off season?
01:00 And I guess, how much were you able to stick
01:02 to what you wanted to do
01:03 and then get accomplished this off season?
01:05 - This is really training just on my mental
01:07 and my physical, you know, just getting better with,
01:10 you know, getting my body where I wanted it to be.
01:14 And just training on things that I observed
01:17 that I could have been better at last year.
01:19 And, you know, always as an athlete,
01:22 your goal is to just try to make those things
01:24 that you feel like you need to get better at strengths.
01:26 So that's just pretty much
01:27 where I focused on this off season.
01:29 - [Interviewer] Well, Robert, now you're a middle linebacker,
01:32 super intense guy, not like Max a little bit
01:34 with the intensity.
01:36 What does that do in a huddle?
01:38 You know what Max does,
01:39 but when the guy who's the quarterback, that intensity,
01:41 how does it make a defense better?
01:44 - Oh man, Rob's a great dude.
01:46 He bring the intensity.
01:47 One thing about Rob, he's very physical, you know,
01:49 and as a D lineman, you know,
01:51 having somebody that's physical like him coming downhill,
01:53 you appreciate that.
01:55 And, you know, just seeing him fly around,
01:57 come downhill, ready to thump and bang, you know,
02:01 it kind of turned you up, like, let's go Rob.
02:03 Yeah, let's do it.
02:04 So, you know, another unbelievable guy
02:07 who bring it every day.
02:08 - I couldn't see where I was standing,
02:10 but one of you defensive linemen made a very good play
02:13 on a running back and he's running up,
02:15 almost cheerleading you guys.
02:16 Does that help when you see that interaction,
02:19 when you guys do well, he's there as well?
02:22 - Oh yeah, most definitely.
02:23 I mean, you know, that's something, you know,
02:27 as a team, man, you just want to,
02:28 you want to celebrate your other guys' plays.
02:30 You know, that's something that,
02:32 that we really want to, we want to do that a lot this year.
02:34 You know, another man make a play,
02:35 you celebrate it just like you made the play.
02:37 And just having that morale,
02:39 having that chemistry as a team,
02:41 I mean, it's infectious, you know what I'm saying?
02:43 You know, that just, that can,
02:44 that can go through everybody.
02:45 So, you know, that's something that,
02:47 you know, we want to do more of.
02:49 - A word we've heard thrown around a lot,
02:52 Coach McDaniels, including his disruption
02:54 is what he wants on defense.
02:55 What's disruption mean to you
02:57 and how do you kind of foster that up front?
03:00 - You know, just doing my technique
03:01 to the best of my ability
03:02 and being a factor on each and every play.
03:04 You know, you know, we have great coaches here.
03:06 We have great players and, you know,
03:09 you just got to trust your training and your technique.
03:11 You trust your training and your technique
03:13 and you'll be disruptive.
03:14 You know what I'm saying?
03:15 You will make an impact on that play.
03:16 And that's just, you know, being,
03:18 doing that on a consistent basis, every single play.
03:21 - Talent in that defensive line room
03:22 looks pretty deep right now.
03:23 How competitive are you guys right now?
03:26 - It's very competitive.
03:27 We compete in everything we do,
03:28 even shooting the trash inside the trash can,
03:31 you know, but it's,
03:32 but you know, that's what make each other better.
03:34 You know what I'm saying?
03:35 And we very close too.
03:37 It's competitive, but we very close.
03:38 We get together with each other.
03:41 We always with each other, 20, 25, eight, you know,
03:44 we made that a huge priority
03:46 and it's allowed guys to be able to compete
03:48 and still push each other
03:49 so that we all can get better.
03:51 - Well, this is the first time in a couple of years
03:53 you're going into the same defense
03:54 and for a lot of the players, your teammates,
03:56 same case as well, coming back with Patrick's system.
04:00 Do you feel like there's a more of a comfort level
04:02 at this point compared to last year?
04:04 - Oh yeah, definitely.
04:05 You know, definitely you have a more comfort with,
04:08 you know, more experience that you have with something.
04:10 You know, that's definitely something that helps a lot.
04:12 You know, so it definitely feel good to, you know,
04:14 come into year two and just, you know,
04:17 kind of know what to expect a little more,
04:20 you know what I'm saying?
04:20 And just knowing, you know, knowing Pat better
04:23 and knowing how he liked to call things
04:24 and knowing like what he may be thinking
04:25 in certain situations,
04:27 just so we can all be on the same page.
04:29 You know, I think that's huge.
04:31 - Well, last year there were times
04:32 where it just seemed like everybody was learning
04:35 and there was a lot of thinking,
04:37 not a lot of having fun.
04:39 It has really appeared this camp,
04:41 guys are back to having a good time
04:42 and you're under your belt.
04:44 Am I reading that correctly?
04:45 Does it seem like the guys are having a lot more fun now?
04:48 'Cause not, it's not ripping last year,
04:50 just it was a learning.
04:51 Nobody knew the system.
04:52 - Yeah, definitely.
04:53 I could, you could definitely feel the energy
04:55 that guys are having a lot more fun out there.
04:57 You know, guys are just flying around.
04:59 Guys are just doing whatever they got to do
05:02 to just have fun.
05:03 And that's something that, you know,
05:04 we preach as a unit, you know what I'm saying?
05:05 Like at the end of the day, you know,
05:07 we've been blessed enough to play this game
05:08 and we've been playing this game since we've been kids.
05:11 And we started playing this game
05:12 because we had fun playing it.
05:13 You know what I'm saying?
05:14 That's something that we just wanted to get back to
05:16 and just be able to remember that you out there,
05:19 you're doing something that you love to do.
05:21 You get to fly around and hit people for a living.
05:23 So have fun doing it.
05:25 - Well, who is the best in the D-line room
05:27 at throwing trash into the trash can?
05:29 - Me, 100%.
05:30 I don't care what Max say, what Chance say, anybody, me.
05:33 I'm the best.
05:34 - When you do it and you make it in the trash can,
05:36 do you look around the room for validation?
05:37 - Oh, 100%.
05:39 100%.
05:40 - 100%.
05:40 - 100%.
05:41 - They're giving me crap like I do the same thing.
05:43 - Who's the champion of the media room?
05:45 (laughing)
05:47 - Oh, I done started something.
05:51 Y'all about to go at it when I leave.
05:53 (laughing)
05:55 - Chandler, a trash talker or a jokester?
05:58 - Nah, Chandler is definitely a jokester.
05:59 You know one thing that's great about Chandler
06:02 is that every day you know what you're going to get.
06:06 You know, if you're not having like the best day,
06:08 I guarantee you Chandler is going to say something
06:09 that's going to put a smile on your face.
06:11 And that's what you love about Chandler.
06:13 Even like when we out there on the field
06:14 and he makes a, you know, a hell of a play,
06:17 he's going to say something that's going to make you laugh.
06:20 And it's not trash talking.
06:21 It's just a joke.
06:22 It's just like, yo, you're crazy.
06:24 And you know, I love that about Chandler, man.
06:25 That's like my brother.
06:26 So it's, I love playing with him, man.
06:28 It's an honor, man.
06:29 He's unbelievable.
06:30 - All good, guys?
06:33 - All right, thanks guys.
06:34 Thanks for watching.